Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari

The Four Cardinal Heroes are a group of ordinary men from modern-day Japan summoned to the kingdom of Melromarc to become its saviors. Melromarc is a country plagued by the Waves of Catastrophe that have repeatedly ravaged the land and brought disaster to its citizens for centuries. The four heroes are respectively bestowed a sword, spear, bow, and shield to vanquish these Waves. Naofumi Iwatani, an otaku, becomes cursed with the fate of being the "Shield Hero." Armed with only a measly shield, Naofumi is belittled and ridiculed by his fellow heroes and the kingdom's people due to his weak offensive capabilities and lackluster personality.

When the heroes are provided with resources and comrades to train with, Naofumi sets out with the only person willing to train alongside him, Malty Melromarc. He is soon betrayed by her, however, and becomes falsely accused of taking advantage of her. Naofumi then becomes heavily discriminated against and hated by the people of Melromarc for something he didn't do. With a raging storm of hurt and mistrust in his heart, Naofumi begins his journey of strengthening himself and his reputation. Further along however, the difficulty of being on his own sets in, so Naofumi buys a demi-human slave on the verge of death named Raphtalia to accompany him on his travels.

As the Waves approach the kingdom, Naofumi and Raphtalia must fight for the survival of the kingdom and protect the people of Melromarc from their ill-fated future.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Raphtalia Main

Seto, Asami Japanese

Iwatani, Naofumi Main

Ishikawa, Kaito Japanese

Filo Main

Hidaka, Rina Japanese

Melromarc, Melty Q Supporting

Uchida, Maaya Japanese

Melromarc, Mirelia Q Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Glass Supporting

Han, Megumi Japanese

Elhart Supporting

Yasumoto, Hiroki Japanese

Melromarc, Malty S Supporting

Bridcutt, Sarah Emi Japanese

Fitoria Supporting

Tange, Sakura Japanese

Amaki, Ren Supporting

Matsuoka, Yoshitsugu Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Tanaka, Shou Producer

Ogata, Mitsuhiro Producer

Tokumura, Kenichi Producer

Reviews

May 7, 2025

CHaoz6097

Recommended

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 – A Captivating Yet Flawed Isekai Tale
"I will protect them, no matter the cost."

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 begins with a unique premise—a classic isekai with a twist. Instead of being summoned as the stereotypical hero wielding a sword or magic, Naofumi Iwatani finds himself thrust into a fantasy world as the Shield Hero—a character deemed weak and scorned by society. The show quickly delves into themes of betrayal, revenge, and the harsh realities of being an outcast, creating a character-driven story that blends action and emotional depth. While Season 1 successfully delivers a ... gripping narrative and a complex protagonist, it also has its share of issues with pacing, supporting characters, and occasional reliance on melodrama.

Story: A Darker Take on the Isekai Formula
The story starts with Naofumi, who, along with three other heroes, is summoned to the world of Melromarc to fight against waves of monsters. However, unlike the other heroes, Naofumi is immediately betrayed by the princess, falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and left with nothing but his shield. This betrayal sets the tone for the series as Naofumi is forced to fight not only the waves of monsters but also the overwhelming hatred and distrust of the people around him.
The premise of a hero who is outcast and forced to rise from the bottom is a strong one, and the series handles Naofumi’s character development well. The idea of a shield as a weapon is also an interesting twist, as it leads to creative battles and strategies. The show places emphasis on survival and trust—Naofumi must learn to form meaningful bonds with those around him, despite the deep emotional scars left by his betrayal.
However, the series does fall into some familiar traps—particularly in its early episodes, where the narrative can feel a bit too slow, especially when Naofumi’s desperation and anger dominate the plot. While this is a necessary part of his character development, it can drag at times. The story also dips into melodramatic moments that, while emotionally impactful, can feel forced or a bit over-the-top.

Characters: Complex Protagonist but Shallow Supporting Cast
One of the strongest aspects of The Rising of the Shield Hero is its main character, Naofumi. His evolution from a naive and idealistic hero to a cynical and pragmatic man who learns to trust only a few people is compelling. The betrayal he faces at the hands of those he should have been able to rely on turns him into a deeply reluctant anti-hero who is constantly walking the line between redemption and revenge. His emotional struggles are portrayed effectively, and his growth is satisfying to witness over the course of the season.
However, the supporting characters often feel more like plot devices than fully developed individuals. Raphtalia, the demi-human girl who becomes Naofumi’s first companion, is an appealing character with a strong sense of loyalty and courage. But beyond her initial backstory and relationship with Naofumi, she doesn’t undergo much development in Season 1. Similarly, Filo, the adorable yet powerful Filolial (a bird-like creature), is a fan favorite, but her role in the story doesn’t go much beyond comic relief and fighting power.
The show introduces several other characters along the way, but they often feel like one-note characters, particularly the other three heroes, who act as rivals but don’t receive much exploration beyond their basic archetypes. The lack of deeper exploration of these secondary characters prevents the emotional weight of certain conflicts from hitting as hard as they could.

Art & Animation: Solid but Unremarkable
The animation in The Rising of the Shield Hero is competent, with a few standout moments, particularly during action sequences. The battles, while not as elaborate or fluid as some higher-budget anime, are still engaging and well-executed. The use of shields as a weapon creates unique combat strategies that help to differentiate the action from other anime in the isekai genre.
The character designs are standard for a fantasy series, but they do their job well, and the world-building is strong, with vibrant backgrounds and solid visual direction. That said, the animation is not exceptional and sometimes feels inconsistent, particularly in less action-heavy scenes where it can feel a bit more static.

Music: A Solid Soundtrack with Emotional Highlights
The soundtrack of The Rising of the Shield Hero fits the tone of the series well, with a mix of dramatic orchestral music for the more intense moments and softer, melancholic tunes for the quieter, emotional scenes. The opening and ending themes are solid, though neither stands out as particularly iconic. The music works best during the emotional beats of the series, enhancing the sense of Naofumi’s loneliness and his journey toward redemption.

Themes: Betrayal, Trust, and Redemption
At its heart, The Rising of the Shield Hero is a story about betrayal and the long, painful road to trust and redemption. Naofumi’s development throughout the season is rooted in his struggle to regain trust in people after being wronged by the very people who were supposed to help him. This theme resonates well, especially in a world where Naofumi is constantly battling not just monsters, but the prejudices and misunderstandings of others.
The anime also touches on themes of power and self-reliance. Unlike many other isekai protagonists, Naofumi does not have the luxury of a sword or magic to solve his problems. He must rely on his intelligence, his shield, and the companions he gathers along the way. The relationship he forms with Raphtalia and Filo is touching, but also highlights the difficulties of relying on others while still retaining a sense of autonomy.

Why It’s an 8/10 (Not 10)
Pacing Issues: The show starts off a bit slow, with some of the early episodes feeling like a drag as Naofumi’s anger and distrust are repeated themes. The pacing picks up as the story progresses, but it takes a while to really gain momentum.
Shallow Supporting Characters: While Naofumi is a deep and engaging protagonist, the supporting characters, particularly the other heroes and some of the key factions, feel underdeveloped. They don’t add as much depth to the story as they could.
Occasional Melodrama: The show sometimes leans too heavily into melodramatic moments, which can feel forced or detract from the otherwise engaging plot.

Final Verdict: 8/10 – A Gripping, Emotional Isekai with Room for Growth
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 is a solid entry into the isekai genre, delivering a compelling, character-driven story that explores the effects of betrayal, the complexity of trust, and the quest for redemption. While Naofumi's journey is captivating and emotional, the pacing issues, shallow supporting characters, and occasional melodrama prevent the series from reaching its full potential.
Despite these flaws, the series remains an enjoyable and satisfying experience, with enough action, heart, and character growth to make it worth watching for fans of the genre. The journey of Naofumi’s rise from outcast to hero makes for a rewarding payoff, and while it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it adds a unique twist on the typical isekai formula.

"Even if I am called a Shield Hero, I will carry this burden for the sake of those I protect."

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Apr 2, 2025

RemanTheArchean

Mixed Feelings

This is a fairly generic fantasy isekai that has a few interesting ideas in its first season that it doesn't really capitalize on. The start is intriguing enough with the show almost become a revenge story, prompted on by a false rape accusation and the protagonist stooping to magically-enforced slavery. That's fairly edgy stuff for an anime and it piqued my interest at first, but unfortunately it peters out anticlimactically over the course of S1. The slave-girl obviously chooses to side with the protagonists of her own free will after a time, and the false rape accusation is shown to be a sham. There's the ... usual anime problem of the bad guys not really receiving significant punishment for their deeds, although at least this show is funny with one of the antagonists being referred to as "bitch" and "whore" as her penalty.

The action scenes, like in most anime, aren't particularly special. It's goofy to hear characters announce their attacks. Something like RISING MUNGO SLASH -- SUPREME SWORD STRIKE is just silly and makes it hard for me to take any of this seriously.

Raphtalia's character design is fairly boring. It's kind of weird that whoever designed her dropped the ball, as anime is usually good at this type of thing if nothing else. She's pretty plain which makes me care a bit less about the interpersonal dynamics.

There are probably too many characters in this series overall. They're frequently introduced, given a bit of personality, and then mostly forgotten after a few episodes.

The power fantasy isn't done nearly as well here as it is in, say, Solo Levelling.

After season 1, the show doesn't really bother trying to be anything other than a generic isekai, and it's not a particularly well-executed one either. I wasn't utterly bored in the moment-to-moment beats of the story, but it's certainly not memorable. Perhaps its building to something with its overarching conflict, but after 3 seasons I haven't seen much that would persuade me to stick around.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Aug 24, 2024

FATMANBELUGA

Not Recommended

We live in a world where the Isekai genre is so overdone. It’s gotten to a point where it becomes very hard to stand out and make a unique series in the Isekai genre. The Rising of the Shield Hero’s first 4 episodes do a very good job at putting the MC into a unique situation not many other isekais have done before. The twist in the first episode is so shocking, infuriating, and it gets the viewer excited to watch how the shield hero will overcome this obstacle. It was looking like The Rising of The Shield Hero was about to become a classic ... in the Isekai genre, becoming the standard for what a good isekai should look like, but oh boy was I wrong.

Remember the twist in episode 1 that sets up the rest of the series, well that doesn’t last for long. The show looses what makes it unique in the first place by the end of the first season. the whole point of the show is the shield hero trying to overcome this obstacle and they ditch it immediately. What’s the point of carrying on then? That’s like if in One Piece, after Luffy becomes pirate king, the Strawhats go on another adventure to defeat a giant tortoise that is terrorizing the north blue. If you want to watch only the good parts of rising of the shield hero then watch episodes 1-21. After that it becomes a standard Isekai harem.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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